The Astro-Zombies

Eric in the light of recent events I think it's necessary

that we reveal to Dr. Petrovich who you really are.

From what you told me, I'm convinced he

has absolutely nothing to do with this situation.

Send Dr. Petrovich in please.

It would appear as Dr. De Marco is somehow connected

with the murders then Dr. Petrovich would be most helpful.

Dr. Petrovich.

Mr. Holman.

Dr. Porter, it's a surprise seeing you here.

Good to see ya, Doctor.

Sit down, won't you, Doctor?

Thank you.

What we discuss here, gentlemen must remain

in the confines of this room.

This is a very delicate situation.

We are concerned with the mutilation murders

that have occurred over the past six months.

We have reason to believe that these are somehow related

to the work that you and Dr. De Marco were doing.

Consequently, you are not above suspicion.

Dr. Porter here who's worked for you for the past two months

is in fact one of our agents.

I'm sorry Doctor, but putting a man in your lab

to gain your confidence is essential to us

in confirming your loyalty.

Because you see Doctor, we are asking for your help.

As you can see I took the liberty of bringing

in some of the experimental work from the lab.

Now, you know Dr. De Marco and the extent

of his work better than anyone.

I would like you to explain to Mr. Holman here

the theories that you and Dr. De Marco had developed

on vital organ implants and thought wave transmission.

Well gentlemen I...

Pardon me Doctor there's someone else I want to hear this.

Would you have Chuck Edwards come in please.

Chuck?

Yes I've asked him to come in on this case.

Well Chuck you know Eric of course.

Good to see ya Chuck.

Hi Eric, how are you?

This is Dr. Petrovich.

Well Doctor, it's a pleasure to meet you.

I've heard a great deal about your work.

Thank you.

Well please continue, Doctor.

Well first of all I'd like to say that all

of this is somewhat of shock

but naturally I'm prepared

to give you all the help I'm able.

Doctor, why don't you start with the explanation

of the experiments you and Dr. De Marco were working on

at the time he was dismissed from

the aerospace research center.

Well let me go back a little first.

As you know, we've had blood banks and eye banks for years.

And more recently, liver, kidney transplants.

Heart-lung machines are being universally applied.

Open heart surgery is common practice.

Now Dr. De Marco had developed a rudimentary mechanical heart

but more important at the time of his dismissal he

was deeply involved in thought wave transmission

through radio frequencies.

Now which has obvious applications

in the advance of our manned space program.

Yes, imagine feeding information from computers

into the brain of a man in orbital flight.

Now you see Chuck, why I want you in on this case.

Foreign government might be deeply interested

in obtaining this information.

Chuck is in our subversives division.

Oh, incidentally Chuck, how are you doing with those leads?

Alright, looks like the nightclub's the meeting place.

I should get some useful information.

If I don't turn into a lush first.

Doctor, what exactly do you mean

by this thought wave transmission?

Well here, let me demonstrate.

Now this is a rather primitive device

and we must assume that by now Dr. De Marco

has developed something more sophisticated.

The two protrusions

are miniaturized transistor radio receivers.

As I vary the wave length frequency

of the oscillator watch the reactions on the brain.

There you see, it's a definite response.

What you're saying is, Doctor, that one man's thoughts

can be transmitted to another man's brain

and that man will respond to it?

Exactly.

In this way knowledge from the minds

of our top astrophysicists, aerospace medical scientists,

neurosurgeons could be combined and projected into

the receiving device of a quasi-man

in interplanetary space flight.

Quasi-man?

You mean sort of a zombie?

Well that's not exactly scientific terminology

but it would be close to the truth.

What else would you call a man

with a synthetic electrically driven heart,

a stainless steel mesh stomach, plastic pancreas,

cellulose liver, to mention a few things for starters.

Incredible.

Not for a minute and Dr. De Marco is working

with a silicon treatment of the skin

which would make it impervious to micro meteorites.

Now wait a minute, if this De Marco

and his experiments were so advanced

then why was he dismissed?

Well when a man doesn't know the difference between

an experiment on an Air Force officer

and a cadaver then I think it's time

to drop him from the team.

Look, it's been in these past six months

that these peculiar murders have taken place.

Now we have theorized it is not purely coincidental.

Doctor there's no need for me to tell you how much we need

and appreciate your cooperation.

Let me remind you gentlemen everything said

here is classified.

We must continue our investigations undercover.

There he is.

Well?

I have it.

Sit down.

Good evening, may I bring you a drink sir?

Of course.

Brandy please.

Yes sir.

The recorder please.

Where's the tape?

Foolish, the matter of money first, then the tape.

Pay him Juan.

One moment please.

There we are.

There was some complications, some additional expenses.

I find the original price insufficient.

What?

Wait a minute, are you trying to change our deal?

Well there was some risks.

Risks that require more compensation.

I need more money.

Why you!

How much?

Double.

What?

Give it to him Juan.

Now the tape.

As agreed.

With your kind permission I will take my leave now.

Good night.

Franchot, prepare for a 10.2 memory extraction.

Franchot, Franchot I have the belt exchanger ready.

You must get the patient into

the thermal freeze vault

before cellular deterioration takes place.

Now Franchot, we're ready for the extraction.

We must be sure of total degaussing of the circuits.

We relieve his motor movements and his memory.

We'll use them again.

At 10.6 we erase every vestige

of memory from the patient's brain.

He would lose mobility, he'd be totally helpless.

A vegetable so to speak.

At 10.2 will leave his motor movements

in the retention cells.

His brain may call on them again.

Now Franchot, we place the degaussed circuit

in the programmer.

And then reset the programmer

at exactly 10 and 2/10ths seconds.

This time you must not fail to remove

the emotional characteristics.

Our only hope of recovering our original creation

is to be sure that this brain is a pure calculating machine.

Now, 20 thousand volts.

And 500 thousand cycles and we're ready.

Now.

It is done, Franchot.

We will add this circuit to the memory bank

until we can exchange with our first astro-man.

One day we'll be able to fill the memory bank

with our most brilliant minds

in the world preserved forever for the benefit of mankind.

To call on them for their knowledge.

Quickly now, Franchot.

The blood exchanger.